Jodie Rattler grew up with a single mother in St. Louis, a city she loves and to which she continues to return. Influenced by her family’s interest in music and the folk singers and other musicians of the 1960s, her talent brings her to the fringes of success, providing enough income to support her. Always independent but with strong family ties, she makes conscious choices how she will live her life. As she passes through the stages of her life, she reflects back, determining whether they were the right alternatives for her.

Well written by Pulitzer Prize winner Jane Smiley, this will appeal to fans of literary fiction, although I fear some readers may tire of the constant musical references and Jodie’s wanderings around England. For people of a certain age and fans of the folk rock genre, this is a nostalgic read recounting the songs and singers of the 60s, as well historical events dating from the early 60s. There are some very poignant and insightful observations of the various stages of women’s lives and the options open to them.

I don’t like to write spoilers. Suffice to say that there is a turn at the end of the novel that will cause some to say “brava” and others to say “what the…..?”. Read the book to see in which camp you will be.

Thanks to @NetGalley and @aaknopf for the DRC. ( )

Lucky by Jane Smiley will largely be a hit or miss novel for most readers, plus a few who will simply dislike the realistic dystopian epilogue because it tracks too close to their beliefs.

I know some will lament the lack of what they call action in the novel, I have to assume because internal strife and worries, caring for dying relatives, and the day-to-day ups and downs don't count to them. Must be nice to have never spent a day where you do so much mental and emotional work that you're exhausted, since anyone who has will know that that certainly qualifies as action. But if you want car chases and gunplay, then yes, this is not an action-packed novel.

There are several ways to read this novel, some only becoming apparent when you finish (so I guess that is more a way to understand it than read it). It is a character study that looks at everything from being an outsider to being "lucky." What makes an outsider, and what makes someone think of themselves, internally, as an outsider? How does one tell one's own story, how does one tell someone else's story, and how should we think about the differences? Or, on a much more basic level, you can simply read the novel as a way to experience another person's life, much as we do with all fiction and a lot of nonfiction.

I read it mostly in that simpler manner, taking mental side trips when scenes or phrases would make me think about something more "big picture." It wasn't until the epilogue that I came face-to-face with what is definitely the "bigger picture." For me, it was not just a twist but a way to bridge the personal (how I largely read it) and the societal. To think about the relative importance of overly prioritizing the personal, especially when making decisions about the societal, and what some of the possible ramifications could be.

I would recommend this to readers who enjoy being with a character for an entire lifetime, who considers life itself as being full of action, and, of course, times of minimal action. Especially those who want a book to make them both consider the character's perspective while also making you reflect on your own life decisions. If this doesn't sound appealing to you, then definitely choose something else.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. ( )